Most anything you read when it comes to fitness recommends spending 30-60 minutes a day sweating it out at the gym. But, what happens if you want to get into shape but don’t have the time (or energy) to put into those types of workouts?
If you’re like most people, you do nothing. You don’t engage in any sort of fitness program whatsoever because you have an all or nothing approach. However, you can reach a higher level of fitness by making a few simple, and almost effortless, tweaks to your lifestyle.
They include:
- Being physically active daily. Don’t worry about getting in a certain amount of time in the gym. Instead, focus on increasing the amount of time you spend with your body in motion versus being at rest. Go for a walk or tend to your garden. It doesn’t matter what you do; just do something.
- Incorporating activity into day to day actions. For example, if you go to the store, park further away than normal so you have to walk a greater distance to get to the front door. Or, if you work on the second floor of an office building, use the stairs instead of the elevator. It may not seem to make much of a difference right then, but it all adds up over time.
- Using your muscles during “dead time”. If you’re stuck in traffic or in a long line at the grocery store, use those extra minutes to contract your muscle groups. The best ones for this are your glutes (butt muscles) and abdominals as you can work them without anyone around you knowing. However, if you’re not afraid to show your fitness enthusiasm, nothing says you can’t do bicep curls with the gallon of milk while waiting for the cashier to ring up the ten people before you.
Don’t give up on fitness simply because you’re not one who likes to exercise. Work physical activity into your regular schedule and it may take you longer, but you’ll achieve your goals nonetheless.